When Hawaiian artist Izik arrived in Aotearoa, he wasn’t thinking about awards.
He’d saved every cent he had to get here with one goal in mind: to make an album that felt honest. Far from the bright lights, he found himself in the treetops of Taumarunui, where KŌWĀ was brought to life with Waatea’s very own Brandon Haru producing the record.
This week, that journey came full circle.
KŌWĀ picked up Alternative Album of the Year at the 2026 Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards, while Izik was named Male Vocalist of the Year, one of the highest honours in Hawaiian music.
I was lucky enough to sit down with Izik while he was here recording the album. There was something quietly different about him. No ego. No big talk. Just someone completely immersed in the music he was making. You could tell this wasn’t about chasing charts or streaming numbers. It was about creating something that would last.
Listening to KŌWĀ now, you can hear that.
The album moves like water. Inspired by the many shades of blue across the moana, it weaves together love, loss, healing and identity into something that feels deeply personal without ever asking for attention. Izik has one of those voices that doesn’t need to fight to be heard. It simply finds you.
Looking back, it’s pretty special knowing this award winning album was created here in Aotearoa in only 9days, surrounded by our ngahere, with Brandon helping shape its sound.
Congratulations, Izik. And congratulations to Brandon Haru ( Mummy ) for being part of a record that’s now been recognised on Hawaiʻi’s biggest stage.
Maybe there’s something about the stillness of the bush, the sound of the trees and the stories carried across the Pacific.
Or maybe, just maybe, there was a little bit of practical magic in those treetops after all.
